Welcome
Kristy Matheson
Festival Director, BFI London Film Festival
Sharing thoughts and ideas is a supreme act of generosity. Coming into this role, I’ve been blissfully inundated. From the incredible festival team, BFI colleagues, UK and international industry… all have contributed to this edition through conversations in our common love language: cinema.

But the most touching offering is from the filmmaking teams themselves. My programming colleagues and I have been creatively charged by all the work we’ve seen and humbled by the trust artists have displayed in sharing their ideas and hard work with us. In shaping the festival, we see so much, and each encounter expands our knowledge and appreciation for cinema. To say it’s a privilege is a wild and hackneyed understatement. Over the last few months, I’ve been repeatedly swept away – more than one grumpy morning has been turned into a brilliantly excited mid-afternoon – because of the reprieve that a visit to a cinema has given me.

And so, it’s in this spirit of sharing that my brilliant teammates and I present this heartfelt cinematic mixtape to you. In a world where the next stressful encounter often feels like it’s moments away, come join us and take temporary cover under this wondrous blanket of art, and re-enter the world a little bit refreshed and excited by a new burning obsession that you can’t wait to share.